Slow starting Vectra cdtight chaps

rugbyman

Right chaps,

heres a bit of a story, perhaps anyone can help

i have a cdti, 150,000 miles.. nice driver

it can be slow to start, i got two garages(foreign chaps, good guys) to check it, each said , camshaft sensor light on, we have put it off, see what happens!

after some time i got one of them to fit a sensor, he also replaced a relay i think it was, like a square box, size of ,say a big box of matches.

The car starts best when it is cold, even icy, it seems to me the heater coil light stays on a wee bit longer when it is cold. I assume that it takes what it needs, as it were.

when warm ,it can take ages to start, lucky it has a great battery


I have done a bit of googling, this is a common fault with owners.. there are several suggestions

1 little leak off pipes , cost 50 cent each

2 Starter either is not turning fast enough, or ,wait for it,is taking too much electricity from the battery, leaving not enough electricity fot the firing up mechanisms to work

3 there is another one, but canot remember

this car has not much value, and i am reluctant to spend money unless some one caqn say , yes i know exactly what the problem is

I was considering going to the main dealer, where presumably they know these probs inside out

Any ideas?

CJhaughey

Check your glowplugs are all working correctly, have they ever been changed?
If you turn the key to start wait till the lights go out and then turn it off and on to start again does it start better?

rugbyman

CJhaughey wrote: »

Check your glowplugs are all working correctly, have they ever been changed?
If you turn the key to start wait till the lights go out and then turn it off and on to start again does it start better?

I must agree the plugs are the first thing to check, I assume he ruled them out. I often give it two go 's of heat, of that's what you mean.it may or may not be better

CJhaughey

rugbyman wrote: »

I must agree the plugs are the first thing to check, I assume he ruled them out. I often give it two go 's of heat, of that's what you mean.it may or may not be better

I'd check them properly, once you have ruled them out , you can move on with diagnosis.

rugbyman

hello again. got a few jobs done in garage, chap there says his computer is not good enough to diagnose the problem..try main dealer

so i rings the main dealer and got the most helpful man.. 30 euro for diagnosis but he says maybe save you that...


does the car try to start as it turning over....yes i replied

he saod the most common cause of my problem is that the woodruff key on the bottom pulley of the timing belt is worn,, the pulley will not shake when checked, it needs to be taken off to check. is thios is bad then the timing changes slightly as its turning,, hence its trying to start

second one ,he says ,is the starter is not turning the engine fast enough( now this starter must have done lots more work than others,due to the amount it turns ,with me)



any thoughts ,anyone


my reckoning is that checking the pulley will cost me 80 euro in labour

checking the starter, i dont know hoe to do that


i am minded to go to this dealer, but any suggestions here will help

the car is maybe worth 1500, tested. i would like to have it sorted either for me or the next owner, but dont want to spend 500 euro

regards

rugbyman

Right O ,chaps. problem sorted,, after all that.

went to main dealer, having spoken to foreman before. my aim was to pay 30 euro for diagnosis and to hear his opinion on the starter. gent that he was he was only a few minutes and told me to go away and get a starter.

second hand ones were available for 30 euro and thirty sterling, but i could not be sure they were any better than mine, so bought new at 150 pounds(exchange)... Bob is your uncle and the car is transformed.


regards,